Rainbow Wahine basketball team blows out Long Beach State
![JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii guard Julissa Tago brings the ball up court ahead of Long Beach State guard MaQhi Berry.](https://staradvertiser.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_SPT-wahine-lbsu-4077.jpg)
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawai’i guard Julissa Tago brings the ball up court ahead of Long Beach State guard Ma’Qhi Berry.
The University of Hawaii women’s basketball team continued its hot outside shooting in a 68-44 win over Long Beach State tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Julissa Tago led UH with 19 points, including 9 on 3-for-8 3-point shooting. The Wahine improved to 11-10 and 5-3 in the Big West. They snapped the 49ers’ four-game winning streak, dropping the visitors to 10-11 and into a tie with UH at 5-3 in conference play.
LBSU took a brief early lead, but UH made its first four 3-point attempts — and by four different players — to take a 16-6 lead. Jadynn Alexander, Tago, Nae Nae Coleman and Amy Atwell all hit from distance.
>> Click here for photos from tonight’s game
When Atwell hit her second 3-pointer to make it 21-10 early in the second quarter, Hawaii was 5-for-6 from beyond the arc at that point.
The Wahine shooting cooled off, but they remained intense on defense and the 49ers went nearly three minutes without scoring. Tago and Atwell hit 3-pointers toward the end of the half, and UH led 30-18 at the break.
Hawaii also controlled the boards, outrebounding Long Beach State 20-6 in the first half.
Another outside-shooting barrage came in the third quarter, with Courtney Middap joining in the fun and Alexander hitting back-to-back treys. Hawaii led 39-21, and LBSU took a timeout with 7:23 left in the period.
Kasey Neubert converted an old-school 3-point play and UH led 52-35 after three quarters.
Atwell’s fourth 3-pointer extended Hawaii’s lead to 57-38 with about seven minutes left in the game. She scored 16 points and grabbed 10 of Hawaii’s 44 rebounds to 17 for Long Beach State. Atwell, who has dealt with injury problems throughout the season, fell to the floor with a little more than a minute left. After about two minutes, she was seen smiling while being assisted off the court.
Shanijah Davison led LBSU with 14 points.